A Smart and Sunny L.A. Studio

At 280 square feet, my boyfriend and I have been sharing our studio apartment for the past three months. Of course studio living isn't ideal for two people but Los Angeles is an expensive city and we don't own a car, so we sacrificed space for windows and location. The Mid-Wilshire neighborhood sits in the middle of the city and it's easy to get around on public transportation from where we are.

Our studio has some mid-century furniture but we organized our furniture in a way that highlights our books and plants. Coming from Seattle, our space feels like home when it's covered in green. Right now we have 24 plants but there's definitely space for more.

It was also important for us to place the furniture in such a way that it cut the space up into sections. Studios can often feel small and claustrophobic with two people. The windows and natural lighting help quite a bit with that, and the bookshelf blocking the bed as well.

The only real downside to the studio is that the kitchen is a small cube. Both the closet and the bathroom are bigger than the kitchen. We have to make sure that we clean while we cook because pans can pile up very fast. Under-the-cabinet hooks help for hanging utensils, mugs, and bananas.

We're most proud of being able to get as much space as we have out of the studio. With hooks in the kitchen, wall shelves in the bathroom, and furniture placement, the apartment doesn't feel as tiny as 280 square feet makes it seem.